Geumsan, a town of South Chungcheong Province, is home to Goryeo Ginseng and the largest producer of ginseng in Korea. This month, Geumsan is holding the annual ‘Geumsan Insam Festival’ from September 6 to 15. The festival, which is in its 33rd edition, is held to promote the beneficial effects of Geumsan Ginseng. This area is surrounded by numerous ginseng and medicinal herb markets, making it a great venue for a festival where visitors can experience the marvelous effects of ginseng. During the festival one can also visit, GeumsanInsam Gallery, where one can see all varieties of ginseng item being displayed. The festival also conducts special exhibitions such as the International Insam Exchange Exhibition and sets up booths where people can try some of the various health therapies.
In Korea, ginseng has long been treated as a rare but marvelous medicinal food, so much so that some say it is the ‘best gift that god has given man.’ The production of ginseng must meet certain environmental conditions for it to grow properly. This is why Geumsan’s pristine natural environment preserved from contaminants has long been the center for ginseng production.
Starting with the Samjangjae ritual that began in 1981, Geumsan has organized the GeumsanInsam Festival in autumn every year to promote unity among local residents. In 1996, the festival was selected as a cultural and tourism festival by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism which became an established national festival from thereafter.
Aside from the exhibitions, exciting events, performances, and delicious food are sure to please visitors. These include Geumsan folk performances, ginseng-related performances, songs and dance, and a tteokme (mallet for pounding rice cakes) performance. Hands-on programs let visitors dig ginseng and make rice cakes themselves. Other exciting events include a ginseng cooking contest, a marathon, a singing contest, a ginseng & medicinal herbs quiz, ginseng tea painting, and herb-slicing.
